Type-writer cabinet.



N6. 696,565. Patented Apr. 1,1902. w. nonnocxs.

TYPE WRITER CABINET. 6

(Application filed May 2, 1901.)

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No. 696,565. Patented Apr. I902.

W. HURROCKS.

TYPE WRITER CABINET.

(Application filed May 2, 1901.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Shea! 2.

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\VILLIAM I-IORROOKS, OF HERKIMER, NElV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO HORROCKS DESK COMPANY, OF HERKIMER, NElV YORK.

TYPE=WRITER CABINET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 696,565, dated April 1, 1902.

Application filed May 2,1901. SerialNO. 58,456. (No model.)

- To all whom, it may concern:

Beit known that I, WILLIAM HORROCKS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Herkimer, in the county of Herkimer, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Type-WVriter Cabinets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to that class of type-writer cabinets in which 30 the movable platform on which the typewriter is mounted is arranged in one of the pedestals underneath the top of the desk, so that the space between the pedestals is left free for the knees of the operator, and the top of the desk is continuous and not provided with a movable lid or section which has to be raised in order to place the type-writer in the operative position and which necessitates the removal of papers from the top when the type-writer is to be used.

The objects of myinvention are to provide simple and convenient mechanism for raising and lowering the typewriter platform and securing the supporting parts 'of the type-w riter in the raised or lowered positions.

In the accompanying drawings, consisting of two sheets, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the left-hand pedestal of a desk, showing the type-writer lowered and pushed back with its supporting parts into the pedestal. Fig. 2 is a front elevation, on an enlarged scale, of the upper part of the pedestal, showing the type-writer platform in its raised position, the type-writer being omitted in' this figure.

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section in line 3 3, Fig. 2, with the type-writer indicated by dotted lines. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section in line 4c 4, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detached plan view of the type-writer platform and its supporting rock-arms on a reduced scale. Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal section of the upper part of the pedestal, showing the typewriter platform lowered and pushed back with its supporting parts into the pedestal.

5 Fig. '7 is a fragmentary horizontal section showing the left-hand portion of the movable base-plate of the type-writer platform in the position of the parts shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a vertical cross-section of the right-hand 5o portion of the base-plate and connecting parts arranged underneath the top a of the desk and above the drawers a and is provided at the front with a hinged door a B is a movable base-plate which is supported immediately over the drawers a in such manner that it can be partly drawn out of the pedestal or pushed back into the same. As shown in the drawings, the baseplate is arranged for this purpose between an upper longitudinal rail (2 and a lower rail b, arranged on each side of the pedestal. The forward or outward movement of this baseplate is limited by a suitable stopfor instance, as shown in Fig. 3, by a stop 5 secured to the under side of the plate, near the front thereof, so that this stop strikes a crosspiece Z9 at the front of the pedestal when the plate has reached its forward position.

0 represents the platform upon which the typewriter D is mounted. This platform is arranged above the base-plate and supported thereon by pivoted arms, standards, or links E, arranged one behind the other. These rock-arms are pivoted transversely to the base-plate and the platform, so that the arms can be swung backwardly and downwardly upon the baseplate to lower the platform upon the same, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6, or forwardly and upwardly to elevate the platform and the type-writer resting thereon to the operative position, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 9. Each of these rock-arms consists, preferably as shown, of side bars e and connecting-braces e, forming a skeleton frame which is light and strong. The base-plate is provided with ears ff, to which the lower ends of the arms are connected by transverse pivotbolts f These ears are preferably formed on longitudinal'bars'or plates f which are secured upon the base-plate.

The platform 0 is provided with rearwardly projecting extensions 0, which form part of the same and which straddle the upper portions of the rock-arms E. The extensions 0 are provided with ears g, to which the upper ends of the rock-arms are pivoted and which are preferably formed on bars or plates g',

secured upon the extensions 0.

H represents springs which are coiled around the pivots at the lower ends of the rocks-arms and which are secured at their outer ends h to the latter and provided at the middle with rearwardly-projecting loops h, which bear upon the base-plate, so that these springs tend to swing the links upwardly. The tension of the springs is such that they will practically counterbalance the weight of the platform, the type-writer, and any other parts which are supported by the platform. A single spring of the proper stiffness may be used instead of two springs, if preferred.

The space over the extensions 0 of the plat-- form and the standards E may be utilized for accommodating a receptacle I for stationery, as shown. I

When the type-writer is lowered and contained in the pedestal, the base-plateis in its rearlnost position in the pedestal, the rockarms extend rearwardly from the base-plate, and the platform rests upon the upper guiderails 11, as shown in Figs. 6 and 8. For raising the type-writer to its operative position the base-plate is drawn forward in its guideways until its stop 19 strikes the cross-piece 0, as shown in Fig. 3. The platform is then drawn forwardly and upwardly to the elevated position shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 9. During this movement of the platform the rock-arms are swung from their rearwardlyprostrated position shown in Fig. 6 to their upright position shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 9. The forward movement of the base plate moves the type-writer so far forward that when the platform is swung up the type-writer clears the top of the desk. The height of the space above the drawers which receives the type-writer can therefore be made comparaiively low and the rock-arms comparatively short.

The forward movement of the rock-arms E is limited by a suitable stop device, so as to arrest the same when the rock-arms have passed the dead-center, as shown in Fig. 3, whereby the platform is held in its raised position with sufficient security to prevent the platform and type-writer from being accidentally pushed back. A convenient construction of a stop device for this purpose consists of stops j, formed on the front earsfof the base-plate, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and at.

In order to prevent the type-writer support from being pushed back when the platform is in its raised position, which would cause the type-writer to strike against the top of the desk, the base-plate is locked in its forward position by a spring-catch K. This catch is arranged horizontally upon the base-plate at one side thereof and secured at its rear end to the base-plate. It engages with its head or shoulder 76 against the front end of the adjacent upper guide-bar Z), Fig. 4t. Upon releasing this catch the base-plate can be pushed back into the pedestal.

The catch is preferably released automatically when the platform has been swung down. For that purpose the platform is provided at one side with a downwardly-projecting releasing finger or projection 1, Figs. 2, 6, and 7, which engages against the outer side of the catch K, near the head thereof, when the platform has nearly reached its lower position and presses the catch away from the guide-rail, so as to release the catch therefrom. The platform and base-plate can now be pushed back into the pedestal to the position shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

It is desirable that the platform should be held in its lower position in such a way that the pressure of the connterbalancing-springs cannot swing the platform up when the load on the platform has been removedas, for instance, when the type-writcr has been removed from the platform for repairs. For this purpose the platform is provided on its under side, near one of its lateral edges, with a laterally-projecting ledge, lip, or hook m, which engages underneath a stop, cleat, or projection 71, secured to the under side of the adjacent upper rail 1). This ledge has preferably the form of an angle-bar of such length that it remains in engagement with the cleat while the platform is moved back and forth with the base-plate when the platform has been lowered. In the forward position of the base-plate shown in Figs. 8 and 4 the rear end of this ledge stands in front of the cleat when the platform has been swung down. Upon pushing the base-plate and platform back into the pedestal the ledge engages underneath the cleat and remains in engagement therewith while the base-plate and platform are pushed back and also while these parts stand in their backward position, so that the platform is prevented by this holding-down device from being raised by the spring-pressure in these positions of the parts if the typewriter should not be on the platform. As the rock-arms are drawn forward in the desk or cabinet with the sliding base-plate for placing the type-writer platform in its working position the rock-arms when swung up stand in a more forward position or a position nearer the working position of the type-writer than rock-arms which are pivoted at their lower ends to the desk or cabinet. The rock-arms therefore support the platform and typewriter more firmly when in use, and vibrations in working the type-writer are avoided. Furthermore, comparatively short rock-arms can be used, the vertical space required for the device is correspondingly reduced, and the entire mechanism can be removed from the cabinet for shipment or repairs.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination of a desk, horizontal guides arranged therein in a backward and slidable base-plate which arrests the forward movement of the rock-arms when the latter have passed the dead-center and which holds the rock-arms in their forward position, and means for holding the base-plate from backward movement while the arms are being swung backward, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a desk, horizontal guides arranged therein in a backward and forward direction, a base-plate which is slidable in said guides in and out of the desk, rock-arms which are pivoted at their lower ends to the upper face or surface of said slidable base-plate to swing forward and backward and which take partin the sliding movement of said base-plate, and a type-writer platform provided with rearward extensions between which the upper ends of said rockarms are arranged and to which the rock-arms are pivoted, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a desk, horizontal guides arranged therein in a backward and forward direction, a base-plate which is slidable in said guides in and out of the desk, rock-arms which are pivoted at their lower ends to said slidable base-plate to swing forward and backward and which take part in the sliding movement of said base-plate, said rock-arms being arranged one behind the other and consisting each of side bars and connecting transverse braces, and a typewriter platform pivoted to the upper end of the side bars of said rock-arms, said arms occupying a position above the base-plate when the platform is in its retracted position, substantially as set forth.

4.. The combination of a desk, a base-plate guided therein and slidable inand out of the same, a shiftable type-writer platform, and means for moving and supporting the same arranged wholly above the top face of said base-plate and supported thereon, said means including front and rear pivoted supportingarms, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of a base-plate, a support on which said plate can be moved forward .or backward, a type-writer platform arranged above said plate, rock-arms c0nnect ing the latter with'said platform, a catch by which said base-plate is held in its forward positionagainst backward movement, and a releasing device which is attached to said platform and adapted to release said catch upon lowering the platform, substantially as set forth.

0. The combination of a base-plate, a support on which said plate can be moved forward or backward, a type-writer platform arranged above said plate, rock-arms connecting the latter with said platform, a springcatch attached to said plate and adapted to hold the latter in its forward position against backward movement, and a releasing-finger which projects downwardly from the platform and releases the catch upon lowering the platform, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination of a base-plate, a support on which said plate can be moved forward or backward, a type-writer platform arranged above said plate, rock-arms connecting thelatter with said platform, a holdingdown ledge arranged on said platform, and a stop under which said ledge engages when the platform is in its lowered and backward position, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 30th. day of April, 1901.

WVILLIAM HORROOKS. Witnesses:

FREDERICK L. MILLER, IRA D. VEDDER. 

